Been nice knowin’ ya.

You guys just cant stand to be challenged can you.

Cut me off all you like. The world is not populated by one kind. You might wish it were but it is not. It is going to be a hard life for you.

I am begining to wonder. I bet you wish everyone read the same books, worshipped the same way. Wore the same clothes. Hmmmm where do we see that kind of society ?

And are you seriously suggesting that local government somehow subsidizes the Internet? That’s a new one.

I do put my trash out. It is collected, but not by a city garbage truck. I pay for my own. I also pay for everyone else’s. That’s pretty sweet.

Maybe you can hit your buddy up for another free lunch, because I don’t care to listen to you in this forum any longer.

So I guess you wont take the HFD ambulance if you need medical help.

I hope you don’t drive a GM, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, or well, any other car. They all take subsidies.

Hope you don’t shop at Walmart.

Hope you are paying the state of Indiana back for the portion of your education that the state subsidized.

Hope you don’t buy gas from Exxon, Valero or any other refiner.

Hope you don’t Fly Continental, American, Delta, or any other airline.

Hope you don’t watch T.V. or listen to Radio.

Hope you don’t use the Library or the Internet.

Hope you don’t drink water or put your trash out.

Hope you don’t use electricity from Reliant, or use natural gas.

Hope you never called HPD or the Sheriff.

Please.

So come on Matt. How about that new bet. Be a sport.

I read thru the comments again. Seems as if Otto cut you off. Not the other way around.

But thanks for cutting me off at LST. I won a nice bet on that. One of your loyal KSEV LST fans bet me you all would not cut me off. He said you all were not like the MSM and valued opposing view points.

Thanks for dinner.

Three hours? Yikes. I’ll pass. Besides, I’m not a big fan of taking subsidies from local government.

How is commuter rail better for the user? What happens if I take the rail into work, then mid-day I want to go somewhere the rail doesn’t go? What happens if I have a job (I do) that requires me to drive all over town, to places they’d never put rail? What happens to the poor folks on the East End who won’t see rail, which is built for the elites?

I was about to apologize to you for accusing you of trying to weasel out of the bet. Then I saw “How about a new bet.” Yup, that’s weaseling.

How about you meet me at Grand Parkway and 1093 around 7:30 a.m. we will take the “Fast” expensive ride to 59. Too early for you ? Ok meet me at Westheimer and Beltway 8 at 5:00 p.m. We will take the “Fast” and expensive ride to Intercontinental.

Then we will Take BART from the East Bay to San Francisco at 7:30 a.m. Bring along 3:00 and a good book. Its a nice ride and a good chance to read the paper or a book.
Or we can meet at 7:30 in Tiburon. We can take the Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco. I will buy the coffee and danish. Its a nice commute on the bay. Cost a little more, but we will bypass the congestion on 101. Then you can tell me how much people like concrete and wont pay for alternative means.

Now on the rail. I don’t know all the specific industry terms. What I do know is the Katy freeway is a mess and the reconstruction is failing anyway you look at it. I am willing to bet total cost will exceed 10 billion dollars. Then of course we will need to modify all secondary routes to match the Katy. I hear no one complaining about that. You were not here, I am assuming, when there was talk of commuter rail along the Katy. Delay was opposed to it. So was Archer whom culberson took his place. Yes I think commuter rail along katy, 59, and 45 makes sense.

Who do you think is paying for the 10 billion dollar Katy. And I am not sure of the figure, but I can find out, it seems to me I pay some 30 or 40 cents a gallon for the use of the freeways. Now on top of that I spend some 6 or 10 Dollars a day, yes a day to use the tollway. Thats a lot of money. My wife and I both use the tollway. so we spend some 400 per month to use the roads we already paid for. Judge Herbert at the opening of the Westpark tollway said (paraphrasing) when he heard cars overhead on the tollway. Ahhh the sound of Money. Yep right out of my wallet into his. If I had the choice to pay 3.00 bucks for a train trip or 10 bucks plus 51cents a mile to use my car, which do you think I would choose.

Commuter rail is better for the environment. Better for the congestion and better for the user.

I wonder have you ever traveled BART ?

In the original post you were making fun of Chris Bell for his “shitty” fund raising efforts. It looks as if he will meet his goal. You will probably call it a weasel, but you might read my comment regarding my choice. I would liket to see Ron Kirk. I would back him big time. I did before and I will again. But I respect Chris Bell for trying win or lose. How about a new bet. Tom “I love Concrete” and “Jack Abramhof” Delay loses to Nick “Tom screwed me out of my seat” Lampson. Nick has over 600 grand so far. I will take that bet anyday of the week.

Seems to me commuter rail would’ve been a much better solution. We could’ve tried a pilot by using surplus Amtrak trains on the lines we had along the Katy Freeway. But running light rail down a 15-20 mile commuter corridor makes absolutely no sense to me.

By comparing Metro to BART, you’re comparing apples, oranges and plums. First of all, BART is not light rail. It’s commuter rail. Secondly, you couldn’t build a BART-type system on the cheap: BART used non-standard-gauge rails and automated trains.

You’ve got all these proposals for “smart transportation,” yet you continue to confuse light rail and commuter rail.

If people want rail so much (light or commuter), why won’t they pay for it? Why does rail have to have such enormous construction and operation subsidies?

There’s an Onion article that pretty much sums it up:

Meanwhile, people have proven — with their wallets — that they like tollways. HCTRA’s swimming in money, and Houston’s toll road system is fast, well-maintained and well-designed.

Now why would you turn away from the successful HCTRA and towards Metro — which is falling in just about every metric — to solve Houston’s mobility problems?

Also, weasel out of the best if you’d like, but read my comment of 8/26 at 6:11 p.m.:

“But hey, I’m willing to be sporting about it. Twenty bucks says Bell loses. I’ll even give you 3:1 odds.”

Also, my comment from 8/27 at 10:50 p.m.:

“So, what do you say on that bet? Just to recap, it’s 20 bucks from you (to the United Way or Catholic Charities) if Chris Bell loses; 200 from me if he wins. You game? Or do you set Bell’s odds at even worse than 10:1?”

So “Mr. Matt” what is your problem with rail.

Oh and by the way the bet as I understood it was that Bell meet his goal of 25,000 by the 31st. not whether he win or lose. But hey I will help him as I did Kirk. He has my grand.

He mixes in personal insults (making the same one repeatedly), veers off topic, and insists on the same “mr. firstname” convention when talking to me. He does manage to capitalize the names of people he agrees with, though. That’s just tacky and sophomoric.

Sure, I’ll do a $20 bet at 10:1. If Chris Bell wins, I give $200 to charity in your name. If Bell loses, I give $20 to charity in my name.

By the way, I’d love to hear you “take me to task” on light rail.

What, it already did? Well I guess that’s that. You also repeatedly suggest that I lied about seeing F9/11. What, do you want the damn Blockbuster receipt?

Come on, Otto. You’re all over the map. This thread WAS about Chris Bell’s fundraising progress, but I certainly understand why you’d want to start talking about a 15-year-old non-issue.

As of the time of this comment, he’s at $14,421.29, with over 10 grand to go in the next 72 hours.

Will he make it? I would bet no. But I “don’t want to take your money.”

I dont understand mr. matt why you would be kicking yourself for giving money to mr. moore. why not see the movie, and why not debate the issues mr. moore raised ? that mr. matt is honest debate. this country needs this debate. that is what makes this u.s. great. why are you against that. it seems you conservative don’t like debate. why mr. matt.

I have enjoyed our little chat mr. matt. but i am afraid you are too emotional. so will sign off for now mr. matt. thanking you for your time.

Regardless of the movie, listen very closely. I will NOT tolerate you calling me a liar on my own blog.

I will NOT tolerate your suggestion that I don’t honor my debts.

The entire force of your last comment — after your admission that you “cannot debate the issues” — was a string of personal attacks against me (I’m a liar in claiming I didn’t see F9/11 and I wouldn’t pay up if I lost a best), with a shot at a great university thrown in for good measure. Does this make you happy?

So, what do you say on that bet? Just to recap, it’s 20 bucks from you (to the United Way or Catholic Charities) if Chris Bell loses; 200 from me if he wins. You game? Or do you set Bell’s odds at even worse than 10:1?

harken energy ? again you disappoint me. read what happened. then tell if you honestly believe mr. bush acted in the best interest of shareholders. I know of this story. i have been the victim of Enron, Dynegy, world com. my loses at enron alone would have paid your tuition and expenses at notre dame. and you could drive to class in a nice new E class mercedes. I read balance sheets. i trust (ed) that companies would act lawfully. mr. bush may have been cleared but if you are honest you cannot find that there was some dishonesty there. there is now way.

“projected” is the key word in your last argument. now i might take your money mr. matt. but i fear you wont take me up on it.

lastly, what do i expect from you. honesty. where can one find honesty on the “right” side of the dial (internet?)

However, shots at Sheila Jackson Lee for her limited intellect are valid because her stupidity affects her judgment. People who are so stupid that they think Neil Armstrong landed on Mars should not control NASA’s purse strings. Do you disagree with that?

I’ve seen Fahrenheit 9/11 and Roger and Me. Let’s take on F9/11 first, since it’s the most recent Moore crap in people’s minds.

Here are a few lies from the movie:

-The suggestion that Saudis — possibly connected to Bin Laden — were allowed to leave the country while flights were grounded. In fact, they left after the flight restrictions were lifted, and only after every person was cleared by the FBI.

-The assertion that “Bush beat the rap from the SEC” for selling Harken Energy stock, even though the transaction was legal and cleared by company lawyers.

-The statment by Craig Unger that the Saudis have $860 billion invested in the U.S, “roughly six or seven percent of America,” implying that the Saudis are taking over, with Bush’s help. In actuality, U.S. net worth is something like $44 trillion. So even if you use Unger’s unsupported $860 billion number, you’re talking about less than 2 percent. Not “six or seven.”

The Irish are projected to go 9-2 this year, and go to the Gator Bowl. That’s not too bad.

Again, you blame me for the lack of honest debate on the airwaves. What the hell do you expect me to do about it? I don’t own, program, run or even work at a radio or TV station.